Back in the swing of things.

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter is gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."  Psalm 100

We hope this beautiful fall weather is a treat to all of you as it is for us! After a long hot summer, we are so thankful to start the semester off with a crisp chill in the air!

Saturday September 12th, we officially kicked off our semester with a "back to school" party of sorts. we had a great turn out . . .  as always :D it was wonderful to see so many of our students!!!

Since Morgan left to return to the states, we are one worker short. this meant refiguring the "normal" work week. Before this semester, we taught monday-wednesday, on thursdays did various visitations and went to the church in Florence in the evenings, and had parties and other activites on friday. we have changed our teaching schedule to monday-thursday. This meant we could up our student capacity to 15 - 20 students per AI worker. you may not find those numbers very impressive, but you would be wrong ;) preparation is key in our classes. we are teaching english, but we are more importantly teaching the Word. this takes time and a lot of organization bc we cater to each individual student- in reference not only to their english level, but also their interest/knowledge of the Bible. in addition to our individual classes, we also have a few group classes.

the  K I D S

in the pictures above, the kids were split into 3 teams. each team was a color. each team had to fill in the blanks of the english words written on their color index card, and then using yarn and masking tape, had to find the correlating italian word and connect them. 

 as any teacher would tell you, even though its my highlight of the week, the kids class takes A  LOT of planning ;) however, its A L W A Y S  worth it! this summer, i was discipled and wrote out a Unit on the life of King David for this semester and it is really going well! its a difficult to balance teaching the kids english and the Bible simultaneously for several reasons, but mainly bc they are limited on vocab. so learning a story is a little challenging. What i decided to try this semester is to really break down the stories. Each week, we learn a small part of the life of King David - 10 sentences to be exact. i highlight new vocab and try also to repeat vocab week to week to get the words to stick. then we play a game that correlates with the story of the week. 

Federica, Ginevra, and Ilaria

Its always a joy to watch them soak up the stories and the english. they are so smart! its also absolutley true that children can learn languages 100 x faster and easier than adults. they amaze me every week! my prayer is that these kids will continue to be a part of the Bible School as they grow, so that they will continue to be met with opportunity after opportunity to know Christ. We would love for you to join us in prayer for them:

Carlotta, Federica, Ginevra, Ilaria, Federico, Michela, Mirko, Aurelio, Mattia, Mattidle. 

in addition to this class, this week i received a phone call asking about the possibility of starting another kids class on wednesdays! ... as we always say, the possibilities are endless. Praise Him!

T H U R S D A Y S   in   F L O R E N C E

The new schedule is flowing nicely. eric and i kept our thursday evenings open in order to continue our group classes at the church building in florence. we have an advanced class of about 5 students and my beginner/int class has 4. i also have one individual student that meets with me before our group class. she has been a sweet blessing to me. the students that come thursday nights are very interested in the Scripture. they tell us time and time again that they love coming to read with us. they talk about the peace that they have discovered since studying the Word. this is so rewarding and uplifting to hear! its moments like these that we are humbled to be in His presence, witnessing Him work in the lives around us. 

What do we study? last semester, we completed a LST book of Luke. This semester, we are begining another LST booklet on the Good News. This one includes various passages from the NT, centered on the Good News and our response to it. eric's class is reading Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. every night he talks about what interesting conversations they have as a class. again if you havent yet, READ IT. Please keep these specific students/ classes in your prayers.

R O S A

One week after we started back our classes at the school, Rosa's daughter Angela invited us to her country house for an evening of dinner and games all together! Of course the food was delicious, but the company was even better. 

W H A T   E L S E ?!

meet Andrea.

Andrea is our Christian brother here in Scandicci. He comes regularly to our Monday night Bible Studies at the School. By trade, he is an artist! one evening, he was a part of a workshop in Florence that was giving free demonstrations. We were happy to come and finally see Andrea in action! Above he is demonstrating how to do "fresco" painting! 

Eric and his student Samuele.

Meet Eric's student Samuele. One evening he and his wife invited us to their home for dinner! we had a wonderful time and are already planning our next get together :)

L e t ' s   S t a r t   T a l k i n g. LST.

Eric, Barbara, and Ladelle

also in this new semester, we have had the privilege of hosting 2  LST teams. Barbara and Ladelle were our first team to arrive. They landed in Florence the Sunday after our kick off party at the school. we very much enjoyed having them with us! Ladelle had already been on several LST missions- to the Ukraine, Thialand, Mexico, Brazil... its amazing how God will use each of us if we are willing. 

Giuseppe, Raffaele, Anita, and John

Following Ladelle and Barbara were John and Anita. they also stayed for 2 weeks and held individual classes . We are thankful for visits like these that refresh our Spirits. Above is one of our Monday night studies that is still going strong and growing. please continue to pray for these efforts.

Raffaele and Eric

Raffaele has quickly become part of our family here at the Bible School! He has been a joy to get to know and we so are thankful for his friendship!

Giuseppe, Anita, and Clara 

Before John and Anita left, they had a small fall party at the school with their students. they planned some great get-to-know each other games and their students had a blast. Afterwards we ate some appetizers and chatted together well into the evening. its a blessing to be together with these italians and to have the opportunity to be share so many moments together. the Spirit is at work here in this place!

Kathy, Fe fe, and me

Speaking of the Spirit.  . . we also had a sister from china and her friend come and stay with us at the school for a few days! Fe fe heard the Good News through the China Now program in Beijing. her church currently has 100 members!! isnt that amazing?! it was through one of her friends that she found out about the Bible school. One day she called eric and we organized to have her and her friend come and stay with us while they were vacationing in Tuscany. Even though we didnt get to talk with them a whole lot,  meeting a new sister is always uplifting. 

S U N D A Y

Sunday together with Sandra and her family in Vecchiano.

Just last Sunday Eric,  Raffaele, Jodi, and I all went to worship with Sandra and her family at her home in Vecchiano. Afterwards we ate and spent the afternoon together. As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day.  Eric led a wonderful lesson on following the Spirit and it was a joy to spend the afternoon together. I feel like a broken record, but we are truly blessed by so many who surround us here at the school and the work that has been given to us. 

Minnie wanted both of the new toys. . . . ;)

Next Wednesday we are heading down to Puglia to help Rosa pick her olives! We also will be visiting with our beloveds from taranto! Cant wait to fill you in again next time!

Thank you for all of your love and support. 

xoxox

E and J

F L O R E N C E youth retreat 2015

Hello all!

its been a jolly good start to the semester here at the Bible school! things are flowing nicely. before i go into the fall, i'll jump back and recap the florence summer youth retreat!

L I G H T   T H E   F I R E and keep it lit
Florence Youth Retreat 2015

they're herrreeeeeeeee :)

The kids arrived on a thursday afternoon. In total, we had 25 teens in attendance - all the way from the top of Italy in Vicenza, down to island of Sicily. Unfortunately, we had to put a limit on the number of kids due to the available space at the school. however, it worked out perfectly! This year, we also asked a couple of    i t a l i a n s    to come and help with the retreat. (this wasnt exactly an easy task, but hopefully as years continue, we will have more involvement. We are so thankful for each one that helped us this year! it would not have been a success without them!) Not only were they acting as "chaperones", but also as role models for the teens. its important that we as the foreigners purposefully involve the existing italian christians. it was good for the teens to have an italian with them throughout the retreat because they were able to see the adults they know- of their culture- in a different environment and have the opportunity to share the experience of the retreat together.

Months before the retreat, we worked together with one of the kids in Sicily named Fabio. We had several skype dates and FB messages to keep up the communication. One of the things that was important to us was having a schedule. i cant emphasize enough, how well the schedule worked to enhance the weekend! there was a good mix of study, group study, activity, dining, sharing, relax, and reflection. 

Eric, Viktor, Joelle, Fabio, Jodi, and Sara

Joelle leading the first evening study.

the theme that Fabio wanted to use was "Light the Fire and Keep it Lit." throughout the weekend, we asked various teens to lead the morning and evening studies. Before the retreat, each teen was given a sub-topic relating to the theme so that they could prepare-- they did a   f a n t a s t i c   job!

Beatrice, Diane, Laura, Tiziana, Ariel, and Cristina

it was great to see our girlies from camp again so soon!

Francesca, Beatrice, Anna, and Gaia

Besides the morning and evening studies, we also separated the boys and girls and had small groups before lunch and before bed each night. This was uplifting and encouraging for several reasons, but mainly bc it gave the teens the opportunity to discuss! they felt more free to talk about their questions/ struggles/ desires in the small group setting.  i am very grateful for each of these kids and feel honored to have the opportunity to share and grow our faith together. 

our last evening small group study with the girls was so encouraging. i wish we could see them all together like that more often! please keep these kids in your prayers! 

city life.

Friday night, we took our Bible study into the city of Florence. While switching buses with 25 teenagers was a bit courageous on our part, it at least provided us with a good laugh. we switched buses three times that evening in order to get from the center of Florence up to the hillside church where we wanted to have our devo. its very rare to encounter a ticket checker on the buses here in florence, but guess who met them on every bus that evening?! it was comical trying to show them all of our tickets and point out the 25 teens that were with us on a jam packed bus... but we did it! haha  

once we finally reached the top of San Minato, we got out our songbooks and sang together.  it was so peaceful singing, studying, and enjoying our time together. 

The hillside church San Miniato, my favorite in all of Florence.

making our way back down into Florence. this time, we choose to go on foot :)

esmerelda and me and our delicious panini!

on the way back, we took the kids to a local panino place. the bottega has great fresh local meats and veges for your choosing and the best part, its anything you want for only 5 euro! 

relaxing at the Villa.

After our morning studies on Saturday, we took sack lunches to the near by park to play soccer and walk around the lake. the only problem was that the soccer field was closed :( change of plans led us to the Harding university here in scandicci. some played basketball, some relaxed, some went for a walk, and some of us of course played ticket to ride ;) thank you harding for your hospitality!

Ariel and Gaia 

Afterwards, we returned to the school and got cleaned up for dinner.

Enjoying each other's company.

The last night called for a BBQ!

Marina, Esmerelda, Jodi, and Cristina

Marina is our sister from Milano! She comes down from time to time to visit with us and we are always so happy when she does! 

Dennis and Eric after the BBQ.

David leading the last Bible Study of the retreat.

The last evening is always the most  p r e c i o u s  of any event. wouldnt you agree? 

after church camp, i had mixed emotions about the future for the youth in italy. it seemed very lukewarm, low energy, and just. . . .  foggy. i am more than happy to say that those emotions are just that- emotions. teens need consistency. they need role models and brothers and sisters to encourage them. i mean dont we all to a certain extent? there was a lot of chaos that lead up to this retreat, and it was difficult to discern at the time if this was the work of the enemy, but now, 2 months later, i can say with certainty that it was. 

what went on during this weekend retreat was sheer edification, fellowship, and much needed encouragement. the scripture isnt without cause when it says  to "not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing." just as Jesus prayed in john 17, we must strive to be one, as He and the Father are one. this includes all of us doing our part to be available to one another. helping one another. being kind and gracious, willing to serve and seek out ways to support one another. the youth of today is growing up in a very sticky upside down society. im convinced we must strive to encourage them to seek and to study, if we dont teach them the love of Christ, the world will ( is already trying to ) teach them otherwise. 

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. " 1 Peter 2:9

Sunday morning Fabio led his first sermon. Excellent job Fabio! 

please keep all of these teens in your prayers, especailly those who have yet to commit to Christ. 

pray for us also to encourage to them and to lead by His loving example. 

"Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:23-26

the guys . . . . 

and the girls.

Thank you to all of you who are praying for this work! as always, we are beyond blessed to watch Christ work in the lives of so many around us as He simultaneously works in ours.

xoxo 

E and J

ps. Avanti Italia is now on Instagram! we are happy for you to follow and catch a glimpse of daily life here at the Bible School.

  @AVANTIITALIA 

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For , “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And,“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. " Hebrews 10:19-39